India's Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has issued a status update regarding the container ship Wan Hai 503 as of mid-July.

More than two months after reporting a fire, the container ship Wan Hai 503 remains at sea, still searching for a port of refuge. India almost immediately stated it would not allow the ship to enter its ports, and recently Sri Lanka also rejected the vessel's request for refuge, turning it into a ship no country is willing to accept.

Wan Hai Lines released its latest update last week, reporting that the vessel's condition is stable and under monitoring.

The fire broke out on June 9 while the ship was in India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Nhava Sheva, India. The Indian Coast Guard responded, assisting in the evacuation of crew members and conducting extensive firefighting operations. After salvage teams secured a tow line, India ordered the vessel to be moved further out to sea, fearing a repeat of the ongoing issues caused by the sinking of the X-Press Pearl and the MSC Elsa 3 just weeks earlier.

Conditions on the ship have significantly improved, with no active flames from holds 29 to 35, only residual smoke. It is reported that 20 rescue personnel are on board, continuing cooling and dewatering operations.

The ship's current direction and a potential resolution remain unclear. Some have suggested it might be towed to the Middle East. Last year, the "Maersk Frankfurt," which suffered a container fire off the coast of India, eventually found refuge in Khor Fakkan, UAE, around seven weeks after the fire started in September 2024.

Although much of the cargo on the Wan Hai 503 was consumed by the fire, concerns remain about potential pollutants and the danger of the ship sinking.